Picture perfect
by mirdaishan
Summary: Two one-shots together. Part one: Morgan finds an old photo of Greg that she wants to keep, but Greg desperately wants it back. And of course Morgan won't give it to him that easily... Part two: Morgan sees an old photo of Greg that makes her laugh, which leads to them betting he won't be able to find an equal funny photo of her. Their betting money: a dinner date...
1. Who I was

**Slightly different story than what I usually write, but I just wanted to do something fun instead of serious! And I think we can all remember how fun Greg could be during the first few CSI seasons! ;)  
Minor spoiler warning for 13x16...**

"How on earth did we get stuck having to clean this place up?"

Greg turned around to face Morgan, who was looking at the shelves filled with boxes. He didn't blame her for complaining: having to go through all those boxes wasn't his first choice of work either of course. But since it was a quiet night, Russell had thought it was a good idea for them to clean up the old storage room. What also hadn't been in their advantage, was that their own idea to get through their shift (playing table soccer with coffee beans in the breakroom) hadn't exactly been approved by everyone.

"I'm sure it says somewhere in my contract I was not hired to do this," Morgan stated while crossing her arms. Greg raised his eyebrows. "Feeling too good to clean? Wow, being the sheriff's daughter now sure has changed you!"

She playfully nudged him between his ribs. "I'll bet you I'm a lot better at cleaning than you are, Mr. I'll-do-everything-I'm-told-no-matter-what-it-is!"

"I don't do…" he already started, but seeing her teasing smile, he realized he was wasting his breath.

"So, what is it we're supposed to do?" Morgan pointed to the boxes around them. Greg picked one up and placed it on the table in the middle of the room. "We're supposed to go through them to see what's inside. All the boxes are filled with things collected from suspects, but never used in any cases and either never returned or claimed. We have to see if it's possible to return them and if there's no information about the owner…"

"It's going straight into the trash can," Morgan finished his sentence. "Already, let's get started then! And since I'm a lot better than you at table soccer, I get to choose the first box!"

"You are not…" Even though he loved seeing that teasing smile on his face, he hated himself for falling for it every time again. Without saying a word, he took the box she was holding and put it on the table to go through it. He heard her laughing behind him and couldn't help smiling. No matter what, he'd always love working together with her!

For a while they worked in almost complete silence, only speaking up when they had found something weird. Suddenly Greg heard Morgan say: "Hey!"

He looked up from the candle he had just been looking at to see what she had found.

"This is Sara's," Morgan said, pointing to the notebook she was holding. "What's that doing in here?"

"It probably got put in there by mistake," Greg shrugged. He continued looking at the candle that had been taken from a suspect in interrogation (who walked around with a candle in his pockets) until he heard Morgan shout: "Seriously?"

She started laughing, looking at something in Sara's notebook.

"What is it?" he asked. She looked up, still laughing. "This really is too funny!"

"What is it?" he repeated, not understanding what could possibly be so funny that she was nearly crying from laughter.

"You!" she laughed. She turned Sara's notebook around so he could see what she was looking at. It was a photo Sara had taken of him years ago, when he was still working as a DNA tech. He was wearing a flowery Hawaii shirt, a glove as a hat and a mask over his mouth with vampire teeth drawn on it.

"This is how you used to work in DNA?" She was still laughing and actual tears started to run down her face. She wiped them away, but couldn't stop laughing. "You look ridiculous! Oh, I wish I had known you back then! I would have taken thousands of photos of you!"

"Morgan, can I please have that photo back?" he asked, trying to sound patient. She shook her head. "No way, this is going home with me!"

"Morgan, please give me back that photo!"

"No way!" she said again, holding the notebook firmly in her hands. "Besides, it's not even yours, it's Sara's!"

"Morgan, please give me that photo!" He reached out to it with his hand, but she quickly pulled her arm back. He tried again, but for the second time she was too quick for him.

"Morgan…"

"No!"

"That photo…"

"Nope!"

"Please!"

"Missed again!"

After twenty failed tries, he gave up, which made her smile proudly. "You give up?"

"I want that photo back," he insisted.

"Why?" she asked, lowering her arm. "I just think it's a funny photo, that's all."

"That's the whole point!" He knew he sounded angry, but he couldn't help it. "That's not who I am anymore, it was who I was years and years ago! I did a lot of stupid things, which everyone seemed to enjoy, but it took me forever to get people to realize I could be serious! I don't want people to go back to thinking I'm just a crazy guy who jokes around and occasionally gets his work done!"

"Hey…" Morgan took a step towards him and looked him straight in the eye. "I know you're not just a crazy guy who occasionally gets his work done. You're a great CSI, Greg, and I know how serious you can be. And if anyone says something different about you, let them come see me and I'll set their minds straight. I never meant any harm with that photo, I'd just like to keep it, that's all. But I'd never show it to anyone else, I promise. You can trust me about that, honestly! Or don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you," he reluctantly admitted.

"But you still want that photo back," she understood. "Well, alright, if you want it back, then you have to try and catch it first."

She held the photo in front of him, but pulled her arm back as soon as he reached out to it. He tried to grab her arm, which of course didn't work either. She slowly stepped back, holding up the photo. "Come on… Don't tell me you're slower than a girl!"

Oh, that smile of hers! He couldn't ignore it, he had to go along with her playful mood. He tried it one more time: "Morgan, please give me back that photo!"

"No!"

"Fine, you have it your way!" He took a step towards her, knowing she'd step back. Grinning, she kept walking back, while he continued to try and grab the photo. "Morgan, please give me that photo… Morgan… That photo! Morgan, please… Morgan!"

She just kept laughing, walking back and shaking her head. Good, she was walking towards the wall, he noticed. "Morgan, give me back that photo…"

"No… I…" Surprised, she looked behind her, only noticing the wall now. He held out his arms so she couldn't get away. "Can I please have that photo back now?"

The only option she had left, was turning her back towards him, which he had been prepared for. He quickly wrapped his arms around her to try and grab the photo she had firmly pressed against her chest with crossed arms. She wriggled to escape and suddenly their faces were only inches apart. They both looked at each other, feeling the tension between them. Later, neither of them could remember who made the first move, but just that they had kissed. He felt her relax in his arms and giving up her fight, only paying attention to his lips. Breathlessly, they broke apart. All of a sudden, she realized something. "You took the photo!"

She looked at her empty hands and then at him. He grinned proudly, holding up the photo. With her mouth open in amazement she stared at him. "You only kissed me to get that photo back? But I thought… You used me!"

"Just a clever way to get what I wanted!" he grinned. She nodded, her eyebrows raised up high. "Oh, to get what _you_ wanted? How about what _I_ want?"

As soon as she had said those words, he should have realized what she was up to, yet she still surprised him when she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him so passionately he was convinced his heart stopped beating. When they broke apart, he felt like he had just run a marathon because of how out of breath he was. He looked down, expecting her to have taken the photo back, but he was still holding it himself.

"Can I please keep that photo?" she asked him.

"How about we discuss that after shift, maybe… during dinner?" he suggested, slowly realizing she hadn't kissed him back to get the photo, but just because she had wanted to kiss him.

She smiled at him. "I like the sound of that…"

They both got back to work, not mentioning the photo again. Greg couldn't help but smile every now and then. He had changed a lot since Sara had taken that photo and he was happy he had, but he was even happier that things had finally changed between him and Morgan.


	2. Who we were

**Picture Greg during the second half of Season 5... Minor spoiler for 13x16.  
Remember: just a story, no harm meant! I think Greg looks cute no matter what! ;)**

"Hey, guys, look what I found!"

Sara walked into the breakroom, where Morgan, Greg and Nick where already having their pre-shift coffee. She held up what looked like a photo album. "I was cleaning up at home when I found this, thought you might like to see it!"

She put the album on the table, giving it a gentle push towards Greg. "Especially you… Check it out!"

Greg curiously opened the photo album, almost immediately regretting it. On the page was a photo of him that had been taken during his first year of being a real CSI, eight years ago. His hair was a lot blonder than it was now and also a lot longer. Next to him, Morgan grinned behind her hand, quickly composing her face again when he looked at her.

"Yeah, alright, I'll say it: I look ridiculous!" he sighed, knowing he'd be laughed at again in a matter of seconds. He looked at Sara and Nick. "Why didn't you guys warn be back then?"

"Hey, I was working another shift, remember?" Nick said, holding up his hands. "If you wanna blame someone, blame Sara!"

"I thought you looked cute," Sara defended herself, while looking at Greg. He raised his eyebrows. "Cute? I look like I'm ready to mop the floor with my head!"

Morgan couldn't hide her laughter any longer, which caused Nick and Sara to smile as well.

"Alright, you looked a little ridiculous," Sara admitted.

"A little?" Morgan repeated. "Your hair looks like one of those helmets the Romans used to wear! I think I saw a guy wearing one just the other day at Caesar's Palace… You should have asked for a job there back then!"

"Oh, so you think this is funny?" he said, trying not to go along with her contagious giggling.

"Eh… yeah?" she said, still laughing out loud.

"Right. And I suppose there aren't any pictures of you looking ridiculous?"

"Nope!" she stated proudly with a smile. "They just don't exist!"

"Want me to check with your Dad?" he suggested. She finally stopped laughing. "You're too scared to ask my Dad something like that."

"Sounds like you're daring me…" He started to enjoy the conversation now and almost forgot Nick and Sara where there as well.

"Alright, we'll turn it into a bet then," Morgan nodded, also paying no attention to their two colleagues. "A dinner date, how does that sound?"

Suddenly he was very aware of Nick and Sara again. Morgan still ignored them and continued imperturbably: "If you go to my Dad and ask him for a photo of me, you come over to my place and I'll make you dinner. If you're too chicken to ask him, I'll come over to your place and you have to make me dinner."

"And what if I ask your Dad _and_ get the photos?" he asked. She shook her head. "Impossible, but alright: if you manage to get your hands on a photo of me where I look ridiculous, I'll throw in dessert as well…"

He could almost hear her think _Where did that come from?_, especially because Nick looked at her with his eyebrows raised almost up to his hair line. "Dessert or… _dessert_?"

He gave her a meaningful look. Morgan just nudged him before looking at Greg again, who was still blushing after Nick's comment. "So, what do you say? Is it a bet?"

"How much time do I have?"

"A week," she decided.

"Then it's a bet," he agreed. He held out his hand, which she immediately took and shook with a serious look in her eyes. "One week… Your time starts now!"

Of course Russell walked in on that very moment and sent him off to a crime scene, but when he got back to CSI, he asked his supervisor where he could find Ecklie.

"In his office, I'd say," Russell told him. "Why? Do you need something to help you solve the case?"

"No, it's something… personal," Greg admitted.

"Oh, God, you're not going to ask him for his daughter's hand, right?" Russell shook his head. Greg decided not to bite, knowing how much Russell loved to tease him and Morgan about their feelings for each other.

"What I discuss with Ecklie, is my business," he just said, which caused Russell to whistle. "Wow, nice comeback! Well, alright, good luck then!"

Greg left his supervisor's office and went over to Ecklie's. Luckily for him, the sheriff had a moment to talk to him.

"What can I do for you, Greg?" he asked.

"Well, to make a long story short, I'm looking for a photo of Morgan where she looks a little… weird," he explained. Ecklie raised his eyebrows. "That's very short… Care to make your story a little longer?"

"Alright…" He started telling the sheriff how Morgan had seen a photo of him with ridiculous hair and how she had dared him to talk to her father and find a ridiculous photo of her.

"And knowing my daughter, she probably turned it into a bet," Ecklie nodded. "You do know betting for money isn't something I allow here?"

"We're not betting for money," Greg admitted. Ecklie raised his eyebrows again. "Well, then I'm still not sure if I approve, but I guess I don't really wanna know what it is you're betting for…"

Greg decided this was a good moment to keep his mouth shut, not sure if Ecklie would approve of their dinner date.

"But I'll see what I can do for you," Ecklie then said. "I'll contact Morgan's mother and see if she's willing to help you out. If I hear from her, I'll let you know."

"Thank you, Sir." Greg nodded politely before leaving the sheriff's office quickly, afraid he might change his mind about wanting to know what they were betting for.

Three days passed without Greg hearing anything about the photo. Then Russell suddenly walked into the breakroom and told him the sheriff wanted to see him.

"What have you been up to?" Finn asked with a grin, but Morgan, who was sitting next to her, just groaned. "I'm losing, aren't I?"

"Losing what?" Finn immediately asked.

"You don't know yet how much you have lost," Greg reminded her. "Or did you suddenly change your mind about there not being any photos of you?"

"Why do I have a feeling I'm about to find out?" Morgan said, looking everything but happy.

"What's going on?" Finn asked, a non-understanding look on her face.

"You'll find out soon enough," Morgan sighed. She looked at Greg. "Just go, alright? Let's get this over with!"

"Hey, maybe he wants to talk to me about something else," Greg suggested. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"I can't wait," Morgan said, meaning the exact opposite. Greg grinned at her before making his way to Ecklie's office. The sheriff nodded at him before showing him a stack of photos. "This is what Morgan's mother sent me. But before I give them to you, can I just ask you what you're going to do with them?"

"I won't embarrass her, I promise," he said, meaning every word. Ecklie nodded again. "Alright then, here you go."

"Thank you, Sir!" Greg took the photos from him and started looking at them while he walked back to the breakroom. He couldn't help but laugh every now and then. These photos were even worse than the photo Sara had of him! After having been through the entire stack twice, he chose one photo and put the rest of them in his locker before entering the breakroom. Morgan, who had been joined by Nick and Sara, immediately looked up with a worried look. Greg smiled proudly. "I'm very happy to announce that Morgan has lost the bet! I have talked to her father and he has given me this!"

He showed Nick and Sara the photo he had chosen. It was of Morgan as a little girl in pink pajamas, her blond hair in pigtails and a big teddy in her arms that she was giving a kiss. The ridiculous part about the photo was that she was wearing make-up, little-girl style with way too much blue eye shadow.

"Aw!" Sara grinned. "That's cute!"

"Blue really suits you," Nick grinned. Morgan took the photo from him and looked at Greg carefully. "This is what my Dad gave you?"

"Yeah," Greg nodded. "Why? Not what you expected?"

"No, it's fine," she quickly said. "Well, I guess I better try to leave early tonight as I have to do some shopping for that dinner I have to cook! Can you come over to my place after shift?"

"Sure."

"Great." She smiled before getting up. "I best get back to work then if I want to leave early. See you guys later!"

She left the breakroom, taking the photo with her. Sara looked at Greg. "Well, you finally got what you wanted: a date with Morgan. Good luck, Prince Charming!"

He smiled back at Sara, fearing deep down inside he would need all the luck he could get once Morgan found out which photos he had all seen of her.

Hours later, he rang the doorbell at Morgan's apartment.

"Hey, come on in!" she greeted him. "Dinner's nearly ready, I hope you like lasagna…"

"You made lasagna? That's my favorite meal! How did you know?" he smiled. Morgan smiled back at him. "I did a little research, just in case… Good thing I did!"

She started to make her way back to the kitchen, but turned around when he said her name. Unsure how to feel, he showed her the stack of photos Ecklie had given him. "I didn't think you'd appreciate me showing all these to Nick and Sara…"

Morgan sighed. "I knew that one photo wasn't all you had gotten. I know there's a lot of embarrassing photos of me, where I look absolutely ridiculous, nothing compared to that photo of you with your spiky long hair!"

"I especially like the one with the cucumber moustache," he admitted. To his relief, she smiled. "Yeah, I do look really ridiculous in that one, don't I?"

After another moment of smiling, he handed her the photos. "Here, you take them. I rather have a normal photo of you anyway."

With a thankful smile she took the photos from him. "Thanks, Greg, that's really sweet of you. I guess I should have known you wouldn't really embarrass me in front of the rest of the team. Sorry I laughed at your photo and said those things… To be honest I kinda like a guy who's not afraid to try out different things with his hair, so I don't really understand why I did it… I'm really sorry, Greg! Can I make it up to you? Wait, I think I already know how! I should still have a photo of me that was taken back in LA right before I left!"

She rushed over to the living room, returning only minutes later. "Here, I think you might like this one better!"

It was a photo of her taken at the beach where she was wearing shorts and a bikini top. Her blond hair was down and her skin was slightly tanned from the sun. She looked right into the lens and smiled happily. He couldn't help but smile himself as well. "You look beautiful."

She smiled shyly at him. "Thank you…"

"No, I mean it! You're beautiful!" he told her again, ignoring the butterflies in his stomach. "I don't care how ridiculous you look in those photos, I'll always think you're beautiful. Those photos of you, that photo of me… That was who we were, not who we are today or who we will be tomorrow!"

"Who do you want us to be tomorrow?" she softly asked him, realizing what he was trying to tell her. He took a step towards her and carefully ran his hand through her hair. "I don't care who we are, as long as we're together…"

Her only response to his words was a long, sweet kiss full of love.

"That sounds perfect," she whispered in his ear after they broke apart. She smiled at him with her eyes full of love. "Picture perfect…"


End file.
